Click on the Get Involved page above to complete the latest survey! Take action and make a difference! Maintaining access to Medicaid is a matter of life and death for some individuals; for others, it is the only way to ensure they are healthy enough to work.
Take action and make a difference! Maintaining access to Medicaid is a matter of life and death for some individuals; for others, it is the only way to ensure they are healthy enough to work.
Current Florida policies discourage persons with disabilities from going back to work. Federal legislation under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Act (TWWIA) gives individual states the option to create new income and asset limits that will allow working individuals with a disability to retain their health coverage when they return to work by “buying in” to the state Medicaid program. A buy in option allows someone with a disability to work competitively, increase their wage and keep the Medicaid assistance required to afford adequate medical care.
Florida is one of only 11 states not to include this option in their state Medicaid plan. As a result, individuals with disabilities face a choice between working for a competitive income and keeping the Medicaid services needed to support their healthcare costs.
The Partnership for Work & Healthcare was launched to raise awareness of the importance of providing Medicaid healthcare access to individuals with disabilities who wish to earn a competitive income. The Partnership for Work & Healthcare is an alliance comprised of more than 30 organizations statewide. The Partnership’s focus is to support legislation authorizing a Work Incentive Medicaid Coverage Initiative.
In order to allow persons with disabilities to join Florida’s workforce while still maintaining access to the medical care they require, the Partnership is requesting that Florida include a Medicaid “buy in” option as allowed by the TWWIA. States that participate in the TWWIA buy- in option can allow an individual with a disability to “buy in” to the state Medicaid program by paying a premium that is determined by the state (but cannot exceed 7.5 percent of the participant’s income).
